They Say, We Say: "What is the Left's obsession with bashing Israel?"

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Is Peace Possible?

They Say:

The Left always wants to criticize Israel - over settlements, over statements, over everything. Why
is there this obsession with bashing Israel?

We Say:

Americans for Peace Now is an American organization that has a clearly defined mission: working to
advance American and Israeli policies that will lead to comprehensive, durable peace and security
for Israel, consistent with U.S. national security interests. APN is also the sister organization
of Shalom Achshav, Israel's peace movement. APN and Peace Now share the overarching objective of
ensuring Israel's future, including its security and its viability as a tolerant, egalitarian
democracy and as a Jewish state. When the Israeli government undertakes actions or policies that
run counter to this goal, we and our colleagues in Israel say so. We strongly feel that it is
imperative to do so publicly. Public discourse provides transparency and accountability.

We don't "bash" Israel. Our love for Israel is why we care so much about it and why we exist as an
organization. What we do criticize - and we do it carefully and responsibly - are Israeli
government policies that we know are destructive to Israel's own interests. We criticize violent
and illegal conduct of Israeli settlers and their sympathizers, which we recognize as harmful to
Israel. And we reject efforts to quash free speech and the right to protest, and to undermine the
rule of law or the integrity and independence of Israel's courts, and all other efforts to threaten
Israel's character as a democracy.

They Say, We Say: "Criticism of Israel, even by people who claim to support Israel, only feeds the global campaign to delegitimize Israel."

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Is Peace Possible?

They Say:

Criticism of Israel, even by people who claim to support Israel, only feeds the global campaign to
delegitimize Israel. Public criticism of Israel has to stop.

We Say:

A truly pro-Israel position is one that recognizes that criticism of Israeli policies and actions
must be judged on its content. It is both true and deeply troubling that anti-Israel and
anti-Semitic sentiment is sometimes cloaked in criticism of Israeli government policies and
actions. At the same time, it is both true and deeply troubling that some Israeli policies and
actions legitimately merit criticism.

The notion that being pro-Israel leaves no room for any criticism of Israel, on the grounds that
such criticism "delegitimizes" Israel, should trouble anyone who cares about Israel's future and
Israel's democratic character.

It is foolish, as well as reckless and irresponsible, for anyone to deny Israel's right to exist,
call for Israel's destruction, or deny Jewish ties to the land of Israel. At the same time,
criticizing and challenging Israeli policies and actions - like its continued settlement in the
West Bank and East Jerusalem, its harsh treatment of non-violent protestors in Israel and the West
Bank, its continued closure of Gaza, or the ongoing attacks inside Israel on democracy and
democratic institutions - is entirely legitimate and, indeed, appropriate.

A vibrant debate over these issues, both in Israel and the U.S., is sorely needed. Efforts to quash
all criticism/protest - whether in Israel or outside Israel - by labeling it "delegitimization" are
inconsistent with the core democratic values of both Israel and the U.S. - like freedom of speech,
freedom to organize, and freedom to peacefully protest.

They Say, We Say: "What about boycotts and divestment efforts targeting the occupation?"

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

BDS & Criticism of Israel

They Say:

What about boycotts and divestment efforts targeting the occupation? Isn't this just another
pretext to delegitimize and attack Israel?

We Say:

There is a growing movement seeking to focus boycott and divestment efforts on settlements and the
occupation, supported by activists who are neither anti-Israel nor anti-Semitic. This effort is
gaining traction as a direct consequence of Israeli policies that are deepening the occupation to
the point of potential irreversibility in the near term, in tandem with the apparent inability or
unwillingness of governments around the world to in any meaningful way challenge these policies.

We believe that activists who seek to focus boycott and divestment efforts squarely on the
occupation and settlements deserve credit. Indeed, APN long ago suggested that activists focus on
opportunities for people to "invest for peace" - supporting companies and projects whose work is
consistent with peace, coexistence, and the two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict
- and on raising awareness about companies based in or operating in settlements, to permit people
to make informed choices about their investment options. We recognize, too, that some companies
play a role in enabling the occupation and supporting settlements. Some do so directly, for example
by investing in settlements; others do so indirectly and perhaps unknowingly - for example through
the sale of equipment used both in Israel and in settlements.

We believe it is legitimate for activists to press companies to adopt practices that deny support
to settlements and the occupation, including through targeted boycotts and divestment. Narrowly
targeting such activism presents serious challenges: absent a peace agreement, Israel has
undeniable security needs related to the occupied territories, for example, securing its border
with Jordan and preventing terrorism emanating from the West Bank into Israel. In many cases, like
these, the line between contributing to the occupation and permitting Israel to address legitimate
security concerns is not clear. Nonetheless, if careful enough distinctions are drawn, such
activism can advance the goals of ending the occupation and promoting peace and a negotiated
two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In short, the legitimacy and effectiveness of settlement- and occupation-focused activism will be a
function of how its proponents address these challenges. To the extent that such efforts can be
portrayed by critics as ignoring or dismissing Israel's legitimate security needs, or as blurring the
line between Israel and the occupied territories, they have the potential to be as problematic and
counterproductive as efforts directly targeting Israel. Moreover, they risk playing into the hands of
settlers and their supporters who gladly blur this same line and who are eager to denounce all
anti-settlement and anti-occupation activism as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.

They Say, We Say: "Why does APN differentiate between boycotts and similar efforts targeting Israel and the same kind of efforts targeting settlements and/or the occupation?"

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Is Peace Possible?

They Say:

Why does APN differentiate between boycotts and similar efforts targeting Israel and the same kind
of efforts targeting settlements and/or the occupation? They're all part of the same effort to
delegitimize and attack Israel and undermine its very existence.

We Say:

The window is closing on the two-state solution. All of us who believe peace is possible and
believe it is only possible through an end to the occupation and the achievement of a credible,
viable two-state solution, must vote with our feet by insisting, adamantly, on the line that
separates Israel and the occupied territories. Activism, even if well-intentioned, that blurs this
line is misguided and counterproductive. Clearly and unequivocally focusing activism on the
territories occupied by Israel in 1967 sends a powerful and unmistakable message to Israelis living
on both sides of the Green Line and helps Israelis understand how great a liability the settlements
are for their country and their future.

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Is Peace Possible?

They Say:

Why doesn't APN support boycotts and divestment efforts targeting Israel? Until Israelis understand
that there is a real cost to their government's anti-peace, pro-settlement policies, nothing will
change.

We Say:

We weigh all activism in light of our primary mission and concern: preserving Israel's future and
its security and viability as a democracy and a Jewish state. From this mission, we, as a Jewish,
Zionist organization, derive our conviction that settlement expansion must stop, the settlement
enterprise must be rolled back, and the occupation must end - for the sake of Israel's own security
and its own future. Consistent with this mission, we have always opposed boycott, divestment, and
sanctions efforts targeting Israel itself. We believe such campaigns are misguided and
counterproductive. They target the average, innocent Israeli citizen -- who may well support an end
to the occupation and a two-state solution -- rather than the Israeli government policies that are
ostensibly the target of the campaigns. They have caused many Israelis and supporters of Israel --
people whose voices are vitally needed to oppose the policies that such campaigns target -- to feel
compelled to defend Israel, regardless of the policies in question.

We also categorically oppose the efforts of organizations and activists whose goal, explicit or
implicit, is to undermine Israel's existence. Historically, much of the pressure for BDS campaigns
originated with anti-Israel sources not interested in Israeli security concerns or Palestinian
behavior, giving rise to concerns about global anti-Semitism and the perception that the campaigns
are not truly (or only) about Israeli policies but rather reflect a deep-seated hatred for and
rejection of Israel.

Consistent with our mission and our convictions, APN has long argued that activism should be
targeted across the Green Line separating Israel and the occupied territories. We believe that for
activism to be both effective and morally defensible, activists must make clear, emphatically and
unambiguously, that their target is the occupation and its manifestations - like settlements and
acts of collective punishment - and not Israel proper, innocent Israeli civilians, or legitimate
Israeli security practices. Doing so underscores the fact that such activism is not anti-Israel,
but rather is opposed to specific policies and practices related to Israeli behavior in the
occupied territories.

They Say, We Say: "A boycott of settlements is not only politically misguided but also pointless."

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Is Peace Possible?

They Say:

A boycott of settlements is not only politically misguided but it is also pointless, practically
speaking, since it won't have any real economic impact on settlements.

We Say:

The Israeli right's reaction to settlement boycott efforts demonstrates that settlement supporters,
at least, fear boycotts can have a real impact. Indeed, the pro-settler lobby and its Knesset
partisans appear terrified of settlement boycotts - so much so that they pushed through a
flagrantly undemocratic law against them.

The settlers and their supporters know that boycotting settlements is a big deal. They've spent
decades trying to erase the Green Line. They want you to enjoy your wine and your homemade orange
soda courtesy of that nifty gizmo that lets you carbonate water in your own kitchen. Pay no
attention to the fact that in doing so, you're supporting an ideologically rooted political
enterprise with an explicit goal to block a two-state solution. Drink up, and for the love of
Greater Israel, don't worry about where it came from.

They Say, We Say: Making a big deal about settlements unnecessarily foments discord between America and Israel.

We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.

You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now,
we'll have ours.

Are settlements really a problem?

They Say:

Making a big deal about settlements unnecessarily foments discord between America and Israel.

We Say:

The U.S. has long opposed settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, recognizing
settlements as a political and security liability for Israel and an impediment to achieving a
negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The policy dates back to the birth of the
settlement movement and has remained consistent across administrations led by both political
parties. This is entirely the correct position for the U.S. and it is unfortunate that successive
U.S. administrations have failed to translate this longstanding official opposition to settlements
into a coherent policy that has convinced Israel to stop settlement expansion.

For decades U.S. presidents have pressed Israel to stop building settlements. The administration of
George W. Bush put settlements under the spotlight with the Mitchell Report and the Roadmap, both
of which called for a complete settlement freeze (the latter of which also called for the removal
of illegal outposts). The Obama Administration early on sought a settlement freeze. Both of these
administrations focused on settlements because settlements are a central obstacle to
Israeli-Palestinian peace. It should be emphasized that a settlement freeze is not and has never
been an end unto itself: the goal of any peace policy is to achieve a conflict-ending agreement
that renders the settlement issue moot. That said, while a settlement freeze need not be a
precondition for peace negotiations, continued settlement growth cannot be dismissed or ignored.

For the sake of Israeli-Palestinian peace, the U.S. - regardless of who is in the White House -
must convince Israel's leaders that American opposition to settlements can no longer be dismissed.
Continued settlement expansion undermines Palestinian moderates, feeds extremism, exacerbates
tensions on the ground, and diminishes the chances of achieving a negotiated agreement that could
end the conflict. Likewise, Israel's failure to rein in settler renegades threatens the viability
of peace efforts.

Support Our Work

There are always new challenges along the path to peace. Volatility in the Middle East, new policy makers and
political pressure from all sides, and a continually evolving landscape in and around Israel create seemingly
endless obstacles to peace. At Americans for Peace Now we believe peace is possible. But we know it takes work.
Working together, we can educate, advocate, and serve as a strong voice that will lead toward peace, security, and
stability for Israel.

Whatever you decide is appropriate and meaningful to you, Americans for Peace Now is grateful for your support, and
thanks you for your generous commitment to achieve meaningful peace in Israel.

Here are three ways you can help Peace Now and APN work towards a two-state solution that will preserve Israel's
Jewish and democratic character.